Fungi help make biofuel from rice husk

doi:10.1038/nindia.2016.8 Published online 21 January 2016

By using a specific fungus,
researchers have synthesized biofuel from rice husk cellulose1. The
fungus converted glucose derived from cellulose into the biofuel ethanol, which
is potentially useful for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases caused by
the burning of fossil fuels.

To make the biofuel, the
researchers isolated cellulose from ground rice husk by treating it with alcohol
and lithium hydroxide solution. They then synthesized glucose from rice husk
cellulose through acid hydrolysis. Finally, they used a novel fungal strain (Myrothecium gramineum) isolated
from acacia trees to convert the glucose into ethanol.

Sulphuric acid treatment at 140
degrees Celsius for an hour converted cellulose into glucose with a yield of 60
per cent. This yield was considerably higher than that (25 per cent) obtained
using another fungal strain, known as Aspergillus
niger.

The
isolation
of cellulose, the conversion of cellulose into glucose, and the use of the
renewable fungus to convert glucose into ethanol provide a promising
opportunity to utilize agricultural wastes such as rice husk, the researchers
say.